‘Catastrophic’ Ice Storm Forecast To Hit Southeast United States

The Southeast prepared to be swaddled in a paralyzing blanket of ice and snow that could leave huge chunks of the region in the dark for days, just two weeks after another storm that hobbled Atlanta.

Parts of northern Georgia saw snow Tuesday morning, and the chilly rain that was falling further south was expected to become ice overnight. Aaron Strickland, the head of emergency operations for Georgia Power, said the company expects that ice — between half an inch to an inch in some parts of the state — to snap tree limbs and knock down power lines that serve hundreds of thousands of customers.

Some of those should be prepared to be without power for several days, he said.

“This has the opportunity to be a huge event when you’re talking about the amount of ice you’re looking at,” Strickland told reporters Tuesday afternoon.